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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. board — to get on
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — happy
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — a stone
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com